What motivates you?

niamhstokes

Often all we see on the media in regards to fitness is people who are overweight and need to get slim.

But what about the people who are not overweight but love to keep fit? what motivates them?

For me personally it is the rush i get thru cardio, i think it's endorphins. I LOVE this feeling and it saps all the stress away


So if you are just a normal fit body type and workout, what motivates you to keep fit?

Alf Veedersane

Being better...stronger.

But I love it in and of itself. Even the days that don't go to plan you learn something from.

niamhstokes

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Being better...stronger.

But I love it in and of itself. Even the days that don't go to plan you learn something from.

Absolutely i love what you said. Even the days the workout doesn't go according to plan you can take from it AND it really makes you appreciate the amazing days when it clicks and you feel like you are walking on air.

Being able to lift heavy things is GREAT fun, I love it
I also love the running "zone" from my slow jogs
I am still overweight though sry

Chancer3001

Looks and confidence.

Remmy

I love the feeling of being shattered after a hard workout. I also enjoy pizza and donor kebabs far too much to not workout on a very regular basis.

Stench Blossoms

Food

COH

What motivates men - Wanting great looking women

What motivates women - Other women looking great... f*cking b*tch!

Rough Sleeper

Vacuous black-and-white motivational image macros and youtube videos of buff manchildren acting like bell ends at ****ty commercial dance festivals.

Baggy Trousers

I want to be able to crush a walnut with my bum cheeks!

chrysagon

feeling good..self confident.. and healthier

anewme

was fat....now fit(not super fit but fit).....amazing what 12 months can do.......love the feeling after a good workout and achieving a new personal best.

Getting fit in 2014 was the best thing I ever did........that's motivation to keep going for sure.

Mr. CooL ICE

Lifting big numbers is fun. After a workout, it's nice to think that my total warmup sets' weight is the same as a Ford Mondeo

ixus

Pure Alpha.

I lost it ( in fitness) for a long time.

It has been reborn.

power pants

LIKE TO WATCH MYSELF JACKING OFF INFRONT OF THE MIRROR AND ADMIRE HOW MY MUSCLE GROUPS PEFORM

9 months ago I couldn't run a mile. Now with two half marathons under my belt I'm training for my first Marathon in five months time and absolutely loving it. Always doing more than I ever believed I could do is motivation enough. I'm going to run a marathon. Me. The girl who only likes lifting weights and who hates running. Me. And best of all I believe I can.

So so glad it's 2015. I'm beyond excited.

Howjoe1

anewme wrote: »

was fat....now fit(not super fit but fit).....amazing what 12 months can do.......love the feeling after a good workout and achieving a new personal best.

Getting fit in 2014 was the best thing I ever did........that's motivation to keep going for sure.

That was my plan:o

Any tips on starting out and setting short-term goals, say, for January initially?

Howjoe1

Howjoe1 wrote: »

That was my plan:o

Any tips on starting out and setting short-term goals, say, for January initially?

Number 1: Find something you enjoy doing. If you are constantly dreading doing a workout, you won't do it. Simple as.

Number 2: Start easy. Overdo it too soon and you will fail.

Just break everything down, week by week, plan absolutely everything in advance. Without a plan it's so easy to put things off. Sit down with a calendar and write down what days you are going to exercise. Plan your workouts for those days. Write down what you are going to eat every day this week and make sure you have everything on that list to hand. Don't eat to diet, eat to fuel your body and get the best out of it.

Be realistic about your goals. You're not going to run 10miles on your first outting, or deadlift 150kgs on your first trip to the gym and failing will have a negative impact. So for now, have small goals; Run for 5 minutes/Learn correct deadlift form. Achieving your goals will motivate you, so keep those goals achievable.

Try not to focus on how much weight you're losing. I made that mistake early on. I have only lost 2lbs since I started running. But I'm down a dress size and I look and feel the best I have in years - so who cares what weight I am?

Be the best you can be, you deserve it.

Howjoe1

Deleted User wrote: »

Number 1: Find something you enjoy doing. If you are constantly dreading doing a workout, you won't do it. Simple as.

Number 2: Start easy. Overdo it too soon and you will fail.

Just break everything down, week by week, plan absolutely everything in advance. Without a plan it's so easy to put things off. Sit down with a calendar and write down what days you are going to exercise. Plan your workouts for those days. Write down what you are going to eat every day this week and make sure you have everything on that list to hand. Don't eat to diet, eat to fuel your body and get the best out of it.

Be realistic about your goals. You're not going to run 10miles on your first outting, or deadlift 150kgs on your first trip to the gym and failing will have a negative impact. So for now, have small goals; Run for 5 minutes/Learn


se goals achievable.

Try not to focus on how much weight you're losing. I made that mistake early on. I have only lost 2lbs since I started running. But I'm down a dress size and I look and feel the best I have in years - so who cares what weight I am?

Be the best you can be, you deserve it.

Thanks for that. I plan to actually ditch the weighing scales. Jumping on it every morning and expecting miracles is a waste of time. I hope to see the difference over time in clothes sizes etc.

I've been at a gym recently but got very bored with the idea of one day cardio, treadmill etc and the other doing machines. The weights section seems to be at the exclusivity of beefed up blokes and not inviting. Maybe I need to look for a different gym. Will leave that until next month to avoid Jan madness. Will start back walking, light jogging and maybe follow an exercise video online. Diet does seem to be key, so planning food in advance for the week seems a good idea.

I generally eat great until dinner time in the evening and start to graze on junk before bed. How do you avoid this? or is it just a case of breaking a habit with day by day new dicipline

Don't have junk in the house! Don't buy it. Don't shop when you're hungry or cranky.

Make sure your dinner keeps you full and satisfied.

Distract yourself if you're having cravings by doing something that needs doing in the house. Make a deal with yourself that if you're still craving it in 30 minutes you'll have a healthy treat.

Make "healthy junk" and have them ready. Slices of banana with nut butter in between covered in 70/85% chocolate and stuck in the freezer. Freeze whole grapes and pineapple chunks they taste like sweets.

Probably going wildly off topic from the OP, sorry

anewme

Deleted User wrote: »

Number 1: Find something you enjoy doing. If you are constantly dreading doing a workout, you won't do it. Simple as.

Be the best you can be, you deserve it.

This - is how I got fit. You have to like what you are doing.

Tried running - C25K - my knees were not able to take the road running so no go, tried gym.....boring...tried bootcamp......got to know ok if this is the exercise we are on then we are 10 minutes in....zzzzz and then a friend suggested I try spinning. Was hooked from the get go. I just love it. I know I I should do something else for upper body, but I just wont do it, so if I like it and do it (3 or 4 times a week!!!) then it's working.

Food wise, staying away from all processed stuff worked for me. Am lucky that I love all fish as I now eat a fair bit of it!

I would have been a bit like that in grazing on junk in the evenings, but that's just boredom. I go out now and do my class so when I get back its bedtime and having felt great from the class I dont want to eat crap.A lot of that is just habit.

The mindset is the other important thing. If you are not 100% committed then it wont work for you. My motivation now is getting fitter. Good luck.

Howjoe1

Deleted User wrote: »

Don't have junk in the house! Don't buy it. Don't shop when you're hungry or cranky.

Make sure your dinner keeps you full and satisfied.

Distract yourself if you're having cravings by doing something that needs doing in the house. Make a deal with yourself that if you're still craving it in 30 minutes you'll have a healthy treat.

Make "healthy junk" and have them ready. Slices of banana with nut butter in between covered in 70/85% chocolate and stuck in the freezer. Freeze whole grapes and pineapple chunks they taste like sweets.

Probably going wildly off topic from the OP, sorry

That's perfect. I need to ditch the evening reward of the glass of wine too. Working in an office, so not much exercise all day and if I go with the wine after dinner, that leads to the junk and any benefit of a healty breakfast & lunch etc is lost.

Howjoe1

anewme wrote: »

This - is how I got fit. You have to like what you are doing.

Tried running - C25K - my knees were not able to take the road running so no go, tried gym.....boring...tried bootcamp......got to know ok if this is the exercise we are on then we are 10 minutes in....zzzzz and then a friend suggested I try spinning. Was hooked from the get go. I just love it. I know I I should do something else for upper body, but I just wont do it, so if I like it and do it (3 or 4 times a week!!!) then it's working.


Thanks. Agree finding something I like doing as opposed to a complete chore this year will be my first goal.

Well done on setting your first goal of 2015!

Hunter gatherer

The New Year always spurs people to start a fitness resolution. As someone who has fluctuated up and down with my weight I believe in keeping goals small and simple. More sustainable that way.

Feeling good and looking good is probably what motivates most people.

link_2007

My wedding photos in July 2016.

niamhstokes

link_2007 wrote: »

My wedding photos in July 2016.

Congratulations!!

Hunter gatherer

Some people work out best by themselves (because going for a run or walk with a friend can end up in a chat and a post-run tea and biscuit) So you aren't really pushing yourself. It can work if your work-out buddy is as serious in their goals as you though, because you motivate each other.

You can always skip that run and watch television if you are by yourself. But if you know someone is coming to your door to join you for a run there is more pressure. Everyone is different.

An activity, like tennis is ideal because it is kind of fun and you won't really feel like you are exercising.